Parking in downtown Boca Raton was already "at a premium" in 2000, to cite a 2014 study conducted in-house.

Three years later, the city's consultant Kimley-Horn came to the same conclusions on the downtown parking crunch as the core city adds more buildings and residents.

"We looked at usage, adequacy and future needs," the firm's transportation engineer Chris Heggen told Boca Raton City Council, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency on July 24 in City Hall.

They collected data on the demand from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. March 30, a Thursday, and weekends March 31 and April 1. The existing supply of 1,275 public parking spaces were studied in five areas. Hot spots and high peak times at 7 p.m. Fridays were identified.

The report recommended 125 to 150 more public parking spots by 2020 and 250 to 350 by 2040.

The best place for surface parking would be Dixie Highway to Mizner Boulevard, Heggen said. But buying land, construction and upkeep could be costly. Structured parking in the same place and putting up a garage could run $6.5 million to $10 million, he said.

Shuttles would need easy access, incentives to use them and would cost, even if the city partners with a private firm, he said.

"Looking toward the future with the new government campus, you're on the west side of railroad tracks and that would require incentives to use and get them across," he said about downtown goers.

"When other cities moved to paid parking, people said, 'I'll take an Uber,'" Heggen said. "Many cities have trepidations and had pushback and opposition. Business owners were afraid of losing business."

But paying to park didn't meet doomsday expectations, and can generate revenue used to enhance parking places, he added.

"The city is close to having a demand profile where it makes sense," he said.

CRA chairman Scott Singer cited canceled reservations in restaurants during city concerts in the Mizner Amphitheater because the patrons couldn't find a parking spot.

Valet parking helps, but it's always a balance, Heggen said.

"People are paying for that service and their expectation is they won't have to wait 10 minutes. The trick is finding parking close enough to be viable."

This isn't the first time or consultant to study parking downtown.

Parking was already an issue in 2000, but no action was taken, according to a history in a 2014 staff report. In 2009, a consultant studied the issue and metered parking went primarily into Mizner Park, according to report. [Mizner Park also has four free parking garages.]

In 2010, City Council approved parking meters for certain areas and enforcement. But the city's new metered parking program rollout was temporarily suspended pending further studies, the report said.

"It's time to re-evaluate on-street parking," the 2014 report concluded.